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NCHSAA Lists Student Services Sportsmanship Winners; Record Number Of Schools Are Ejection Free

NCHSAA Lists Student Services Sportsmanship Winners; Record Number Of Schools Are Ejection Free

Aug 23, 2005

CHAPEL HILL-- The North Carolina High School Athletic Association announced today the winners of its 10th annual NCHSAA Student Services Sportsmanship Awards.

North Wilkes High School is the overall winner for the 2004-05 academic year, while East Bladen High School and Hendersonville High School will be recognized with honorariums in acknowledgement of the sportsmanship initiatives in place at their schools.

GlaxoSmithKline sponsors this NCHSAA sportsmanship program.

To be eligible for the Student Services Sportsmanship Awards, schools had to meet three criteria. First of all, the school could have no players or coaches ejected from any athletic contest during the course of the 2004-2005 academic year. The school also had to receive an overall positive rating from the game officials and booking agents who actually work with the school’s athletic program. Finally, the school must submit an outline or written action plan of how it attempts to promote sportsmanship and positive behavior at its events, and those plans are evaluated by a special committee.

Mark Dreibelbis, assistant executive director of the NCHSAA and director of the Association’s Student Services Division, noted that a whopping 169 schools, almost half of the NCHSAA membership of 354 during 2004-2005, went ejection free during the year. That is the best ever and continues a positive trend since the program began. The number is up from 157 in 2003-04 and 149 schools the year before that.

The trend has been steadily upward since the inception of the program. There were 114 ejection-free schools during the 2001-2002 year and 92 schools were ejection free in both 2000-01 and 1999-2000. A total of 82 schools were ejection-free in 1998-99, and 75 schools went without an ejection during the 1997-98 year. The guidelines record ejections for unsportsmanlike acts such as fighting, taunting, profanity, obscene gestures or disrespectfully addressing or contacting officials.

“We are certainly pleased to recognize these schools for their positive programming,” said Dreibelbis. “It is part of our continuing commitment to provide opportunities and recognize schools which are promoting the kind of behavior we want to see as part of a wholesome athletic environment.”

Several other schools continued long streaks without a single player or coach ejected. Among 1-A schools, Highlands completed its 11th year without an ejection, while the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton finished nine years and Midway eight. Nantahala has had seven straight years and Chatham Central six in a row.

In the 2-A classification, Southwest Onslow is working on a string of six consecutive years. Mitchell and Northwest Halifax each have had five straight unblemished years.

At the 3-A level, Mooresville has been without an ejection for five straight years while North Gaston, Shelby Crest, Newton Fred T. Foard have enjoyed four consecutive ejection-free years.

Among 4-A schools, Fuquay-Varina and Winston-Salem R.J. Reynolds completed five consecutive ejection-free years.

All schools with no ejections for the year will receive a certificate of recognition. Those schools include: